By Michael Riccio '19, SCSU Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant

The Southern Connecticut State University men's track and field team's record books is full of accolades by pole vaulters; NCAA Champions, Northeast 10 Conference Champions and Rookies of the Year, and All-Region honorees, and Jack Brown (Lyndon Center, Vt.) fits right in amongst the Owls' greats.
 
Brown, now a graduate student, made his presence known quickly. He won the NE10 Conference Rookie of the Year during the 2016 indoor and outdoor season, the NE10 Indoor Conference Championship in the pole vault event, and earned USTFCCCA Indoor and Outdoor All-Region honors. 
 
"It was just another big motivator," Brown said. "It was something my coach told me 'hey, you won these accolades, so that means you're on the right track to do more, to get better' but I knew I didn't want that to be my only highlight. I just told myself 'ok this is good, I'm doing my part' because that was ultimately my biggest goal as a freshman; to do my part, to win points for the team so we can win team titles." 
 
After the Owls finished in second place at the NE10 Conference Championship meets during the indoor and outdoor season in Brown's freshman year, Southern has reeled off four consecutive indoor championships and three consecutive outdoor championships. Brown won three more pole vault Conference Championships as well; the indoor championship in 2018 and the outdoor championship in 2017 and 2019. He earned USTFCCCA Indoor All-Region honors in 2017, 2018, 2019 and Outdoor All-Region honors in 2017 and 2019. 
 
"It's pretty surreal," Brown said. "It's one thing to be on a college team. Being a part of this dynasty of success and just being a part of something to where this sport is their culture is something I never thought I'd really experience before. I learned a lot as a person, as far as being there for your teammates, being a leader, motivating others, and just ultimately doing your role to make sure everyone else can succeed as well."
 
Brown said he and the team love the pressure that comes with winning individual and team titles as well, since it gets them more motivated and excited. 
 
"I always tell every single freshman class that comes in every year that when you feel that pressure, once you step on that runway or once you step on the blocks of the track or the pit, that pressure turns to adrenaline," Brown said, "and it just makes the competition a whole lot more fun and a whole lot more competitive." 
 
Even though Brown and the team were on a string of success, Brown was unable to compete during the 2018 outdoor season after suffering injuries in the summer of 2017 and during a practice in 2018. Although he recovered from his first injury and go onto win the 2018 NE10 Indoor Pole Vault Championship, his second injury was more difficult. He and the team decided it would be best to redshirt and recover.
 
"It was pretty devastating for me because I was on a big roll," Brown said. "I learned a lot about patience and just knowing that this is not going to come quickly. When I finally did recover I had sort of this block to where I haven't jumped in so long where I had to learn the basics again to really get back into it."
 
Brown said his teammates and coaches helped him not have any doubts that he could return to top form once he recovered in 2019. Brown helped Southern win the 2019 NE10 Indoor and Outdoor Championships and New England Outdoor Championship meets. 
 
"He is a great leader of our jumps program," head coach John Wallin said. "He is always willing to help, and is a tremendous worker who never quits."
 
Being from Vermont, Brown said his interest in pole vaulting sparked when he was in eighth grade, where he witnessed a high school senior break the school's pole vaulting record. His mother was head coach of the high school team and encouraged him to try out and he began working with the senior who broke his high school's record and an assistant coach. 
 
Although Brown did not know which sport he wanted to compete in in college, he knew he wanted to be a college athlete, and track and field helped him progress towards his goal. He wanted to leave Vermont, but stay in New England, and said he typed in online "top track and field programs in New England," with the first school popping up as Southern Connecticut. Brown sent Wallin an email saying he was interested in the program and went on an official visit.
 
"I just absolutely fell in love with the school," Brown said. "It's funny just backtracking that day, I just had a ton of fun. My recruit leader was Joey Matera, he showed me all the buildings, all the dorms, introduced me to everyone on the team, and I just thought Southern was the best fit for me. They treated me like I was already part of the team."
 
Brown said Wallin also filled him in on Southern's success with pole vaulting. 
 
"I knew right then and there this was an event that Southern is really good at coaching and they really took seriously," Brown said. "If I were to progress in this event, Southern was the best place to go. When I went home after my visit I looked into it more and I found videos of the Southern track and field team competing and they just had so much energy and pride and I wanted to be a part of it."
 
Throughout his career, Brown said Joe Caraciolo, now an assistant coach, and Michael Lee were two leaders who really influenced him when he was a freshman and early years at Southern, along with Sean Davidson, Michelle Grecni, and Nelson Laskoski. Now, he said fellow pole vaulters Milan Spisek and Jesse Nelson are two teammates that push him now. 
 
Because of his redshirt 2018 season and the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility for spring athlete's who lost their 2019 seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown has one more season of outdoor eligibility. He said he is feeling a mix of excitement along with relief. 
 
"I was jumping so much better than I have in the past and I was on the road to potentially clear much higher heights and to get to the national meet and to be a great competitor there," Brown said. "When I found out I had the opportunity to come back it was a big relief for me, that I'm given a second chance to really show that progression, and along with that it is exciting. It is exciting I get to enjoy this amazing program one last time and I'm just going to make the most of it."